Paper Swap Update

Katrin over at Kreativ Kram has organized postcard swaps with different destinations.

I have participated twice so far, hopefully, my techniques are improving!!! There are some fabulously talented paper artists out there- and I'm a newbie, just dipping my semi-artistic toe in paper waters. It's fun, and I'm learning as I go!!

So far, I've "been to" St. Petersburg (finding out along the way, that my grandmother's Finnish family moved there in the late 1800's), and Liverpool, England.

My original St. Pete's card (and first effort in a postcard trade) was made on an actual vintage postcard - with half Finland and the other half Russia- tipping the proverbial hat to the journey my ancestors made.There is a Russian and Finnish phrase stamped on the back. My swap partner. mamapia, made a fabulous arch of St. Petersburg - that I hope to frame!!!She also included a wonderful little ATC!

The last trip, was to Liverpool - and as much research as I did - the one thing Liverpool is known for is- The Beatles!!!! I had a picture of The Cavern, the club where the Beatles got their start, and placed that over a backround street map, showing the original streets of Liverpool. A poster flapping in the breeze (and I hope it arrived that way and didn't get squished in the mail!:>) ), and the wonderful old buildings along the water in the town. Use of a stamp is always required in making these postcards- and altho my supply is limited, I had a musical one, which was perfect- wafting out of the open door of the club! I sent along one of my zentangle bookmarks also.Refrigerator magnet words came in handy- glued in the doorway. I will be very excited to see my return swap!!!

If you want to see what the other participants created for Liverpool -go here!

Am looking forward to the next location!!!

Steppin' Out of the Box Again.................

I tried my hand at something new this week. Patty posted about an altered postcard she created for a swap over at this blog , Kreativ Kram.
They have an ongoing "thing" called Travel Around the World. A different location is picked each time, you create a postcard for that location, and swap partners are chosen. Patty always inspires me to try something new!!! You only have to make one postcard- which is a good thing - I don't think I could make more than one!!! LOL

When I saw Patty's - the location for Swap #15 was St. Petersburg, Russia. She was lucky enough to have gone there a few years ago. It piqued my interest because I had heard, over the years, that my Finnish great great (great?) grandparents had traveled by cart to work in St. Petersburg.

I started researching the story again, and come to find out, my mother's grandparents, did, in fact, LIVE in St. Petersburg, probably in the early to mid 1800's! There was alot of unrest in Russia, Finland and the surrounding areas during that time period. All very interesting, and so much more to discover. And to think, this journey started again for me, with a simple altered postcard!

One of the requirements for this postcard was to use an ink stamp somewhere. I chose to use it on the back. I stamped "hand made for you" in Finnish on the back. And, NO, I don't speak Finnish - I used Google translator - so I hope it is correct!!!! I also have it in Russian.

I used a vintage postcard with an unappealing pic of a warship on the front. I did not feel bad about "changing" this postcard!!I do like the original back of the postcard tho!On the front, I put a map of Finland, and a picture of the gorgeous, altho' chillingly named, Spilled Blood Cathedral in St. Petersburg. A cutout from Artchix, vintage little girls with a map of the world, under a swatch of ribbon, with the added words "back and forth", signifying my ancestors' travels, some gel pen and sparkle embellishment and vintage rickrack- I hope it meets the swap's approval.

There is still time to join this swap, I believe, if not - there is always the next one!!!!